Keith Valley Students Enchant Audiences with Cinderella Musical

Keith Valley Music Theatre kicked off the holiday season for many across the Hatboro-Horsham community and beyond with its production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella: Enchanted Edition. Audiences were delighted by the four-show run describing the production as “must see,” “magical,” “tremendous” and “incredible.” As Joan McCarty, a longtime stage actress who has performed in professional musical tours like The Sound of Music, South Pacific, Oklahoma and Kiss Me Kate, said after seeing a performance, “I cannot believe these are middle school kids. The performances, costumes, sets and effects are simply incredible.”

A Timeless Tale

Based on the 1997 teleplay presented on The Wonderful World of Disney, the beloved fairy tale follows Cinderella (Taylor Furness, 8th grade) who struggles under the cruelty of her wicked stepmother (Morgan McNulty, 8th) and two evil stepsisters (Emily Dougherty, 8th and Sadie Van Tassel, 7th). Just as she’s about to lose all hope, her Fairy Godmother (Kaitlyn Harrington, 8th) mysteriously appears, transforming her life with words of wisdom and magical deeds that lead to an unforgettable night at the royal ball.

Photo by Chad Kramaroff

A timeless romance ensues as Cinderella encounters and falls for Prince Christopher (Quin Rock, 6th) who is tasked with finding his future bride at the celebration and whose parents, King Maximillian (Santiago Alezard, 7th) and Queen Constantina (Lily Belle Rock, 8th), are anxious for him to find a suitable paramour.

Recalling her Fairy Godmother’s admonition that she must depart the ball by the strike of 12 at midnight as the magic with disappear, Cinderella flees, leaving behind an evening glass slipper as the only clue to her identity. The Prince then sets out across the kingdom with his Royal Steward, Lionel (Caleb Hansford, 8th), with glass slipper in hand to discover who this mysterious maiden is.

Photo by Chad Kramaroff

KVMT’s Cinderella production team of director Barry Dougherty, assistant director Kelly Snyder, co-producers Jen Basmajian and Kristen Schada, music director Ed Conrad and choreographer Caroline Butcher previously brought C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, Disney's The Lion King and Grease to the KVMT stage. Aside from assembling a fantastic cast, the show featured beautiful sets designed by Chris Adams, fabulous costumes by Janet Whiteside and Deb Tustin and spectacular lighting and special effects by Erik Aaron.

Director Barry Dougherty explained his inspiration for producing Cinderella, saying, “Cinderella is a musical I have always wanted to do because of the wide appeal of a classic story that has so much fun and magic in it. Plus, the lessons woven throughout are also wonderful – believing in yourself, being kind to others, having courage and forgiveness. It’s a show that delivers so much magic and entertainment and is just fun to be part of whether you're on stage or in the audience.”

An Enchanting Show

The antics between Cinderella’s stepmother, played by Morgan McNulty, and her step daughters, played by Emily Dougherty and Sadie Van Tassel, were hilarious throughout. While the interactions among the Prince, played by Quin Rock, his Royal Steward, played by Caleb Hansford, the King, played by Santi Alezard and the Queen, played by Lily Rock, were delightfully entertaining.

Photo by Chad Kramaroff

The chemistry between Cinderella, played by Taylor Furness, and her Fairy Godmother, played by Kaitlyn Harrington, was especially enchanting. It was particularly superb as the Fairy Godmother magically transformed four mice, brought to life by puppeteers Maddie Harrington, Ellen Moyle, Izzy Shotel and Anna Winslow into four white horses, delightfully played by Amelia Derbyshire, Kali Fullmer, Jameson McKnight and Anya Rosenbloom, as well as a cat and lizard, played by puppeteers Sean Elliott and Michael Marcus, into a coachman and footman, entertainingly played by Danielle Nugent and Wade Craney.

This was all in preparation to get Cinderella to the ball, as a pumpkin is transformed into a beautiful carriage and a dress is transformed into a spectacular gown thanks to some dazzling special effects to whisk Cinderella and Fairy Godmother off to the Prince’s ball singing “It’s Possible,” as the spirit of her mother, in the form of a dove, played by puppeteer Audrey Kim, lovingly watches over the journey.

Photo by Chad Kramaroff

A Deep Impact

The impact Keith Valley Music Theatre has on its students is impressive. As Kaitlyn Harrington, who played Fairy Godmother and is a three-year KVMT veteran explained, “Being part of KVMT is an amazing experience in both the connections you make with others and the skills you learn in the process. Our school is truly blessed to have such an amazing staff that runs an such an incredible organization.”

In terms of the experience of KVMT students, Taylor Furness, a first-year actor with the troupe who played Cinderella said, “My favorite thing about the musical was everything. It was such an amazing experience. I got to learn all the mechanics of theater and I made amazing friends. I loved the music, sets, and costumes. It really felt as if I was really Cinderella. From the transformations to the dancing it was all a dream come true and it was like I was living it.”

Photo by Pamela Harrington

Morgan McNulty, another three-year KVMT participant who played the stepmother, discussed her favorite part of the KVMT experience, saying, “I’ve always enjoyed being a part of a community who was as crazy as me and would break out in to song at any given moment.”

A Close 'Family'

One of the most common themes participants point to in their experience with KVMT are the connections they make with their fellow students. As Santi Alezard, who performed in his second KVMT musical playing King Maximillian, explained, “I think that the best part was probably the amazing cast and crew you work with and how you make really strong bonds with your fellow cast/crew mates.”

Photo by Chad Kramaroff

Lily Rock, a three-year KVMT participant who played Queen Constintina echoed this sentiment, saying, “Personally my favorite part of being in the Keith Valley musical was being part of a family. When I say family, I mean we all had each other’s backs, and we were always there to help each other improve. I am so glad that I got to participate and be part of our loving musical family.”

Caleb Hansford, who was also in this third KVMT musical as Lionel, reinforced the strength of the relationships among the actors, explaining, “My favorite part about being in the cast of Cinderella would have to be my friends I've made and hanging out with friends I already had. In the end we all get to be a part of an amazing performance for people to see.”